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0212 ———————————————-

Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors

A month later, I bid farewell to the Sword Demon.

“Thank you for everything.”

The Sword Demon stood at the entrance of the Shadowless Gate to see me off. The experts of the Shadowless Gate seemed to have scattered, perhaps wary of him. With his arms crossed and a silent gaze, the Sword Demon spoke.

“I like you, you know why?”

“……?”

“If you visit again, I’ll tell you the reason.”

Upon realizing the meaning behind his words, I beamed with joy.

“So, are you saying I can come back?”

“Pfft… There’s no need to bring treasures like Yodo Muramasa multiple times. Just come back and I’ll personally guide you.”

“Thank you!!”

I sincerely expressed my gratitude. The Sword Demon then wore a slightly sharp expression and added,

“However, remember this: your opponent is not an ordinary man. If you don’t fight with the intent to kill, you’ll be utterly defeated.”

“I understand.”

“I hope you’ll achieve good results.”

“Of course.”

I trained rigorously with the Sword Demon for a month, gradually opening up to him about my opponent, Jin So-cheong’s talents and skills. His advice seemed to reflect that very conversation.

Wham!

Using a teleportation technique, I returned to Jinrang Valley. Upon arrival, Mangnyang was already sitting in the Great Hall waiting for me.

“You’re back.”

“It’s the promised day, after all.”

Mangnyang nodded.

“The sparring match will likely take place at noon at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. Are you adequately prepared?”

I pondered for a moment before answering.

“Half prepared.”

“Hmm… It seems you haven’t devised a solid strategy.”

“Such favorable conditions were hard to come by.”

Mangnyang smiled in response.

“Still, it seems you have some sort of plan brewing. Your face shows no signs of wavering.”

“That’s the only silver lining.”

“Well then, shall we go? Do you need to prepare anything?”

“Not particularly.”

I went with Mangnyang through the teleportation to the spectator’s fortress. Once we revealed ourselves in an empty area, we took a moment for tea. Mangnyang ordered dumplings and spoke to me.

“Lee Kwang knows that Red Moon and Green Moon will be spectating this match. To convince that suspicious fellow, we need to provide some context.”

“Hmm…”

“Also, he’s still unaware that the White Lotus Sect has released their shackles. Thus, he’s likely to fall for a small bait in this matter.”

“What do you mean ‘bait’?”

“Pfft, I have a plan in store. Just focus on the match.”

Seeing Mangnyang smile reassured me. When he smiled like that, he was completely confident in his strategy. I also felt a strange sense of foreboding toward Lee Kwang.

“……”

While munching on chicken legs, Mangnyang asked,

“Baek Woong, how do you think you could turn Lee Kwang into an ally?”

I frowned.

“I can’t. I’ve just realized that.”

The concept of an ally seems foreign to Lee Kwang. He can unflinchingly use and discard anyone for his goals. If there’s even a hint of doubt, he’ll crush or suppress them with everything he has.

Had Lee Kwang’s circumstances been even slightly better, he would have ruthlessly bulldozed anyone in his way as the Overlord. Throughout my rebirth, I’d tried every means to make him my ally, but major confrontations always hindered that effort.

As I ground my teeth in frustration, Mangnyang chuckled.

“Of course, I agree. However, you were the one to task me with making Jin So-cheong an ally. That’s quite a challenge.”

“……?”

“Without winning over Lee Kwang, you can’t win over Jin So-cheong… That’s been the premise up until now, you see. The two share a fateful bond and the closest master-disciple relationship.”

“Hmm.”

“Kukuku…”

Mangnyang stood up with a peculiar smile.

“Let’s get going. We have about an hour until it begins when the sun is at its zenith.”

“Got it.”

I sensed that Mangnyang had already devised a method for our victory. My anticipation for this match burned brighter. That was probably the effect Mangnyang was aiming for.

As we entered the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School’s main gate, there was an eerie silence. The usually crowded training halls were completely vacant. A few presences lingered near the sparring arena.

As we approached the arena, five people stood there.

‘Lee Kwang, Jin So-cheong, and those predictable masked figures must be Red Moon and Green Moon – the Dharma Protectors.’

Four of them were from the Thunder God Lineage, all familiar faces. Red Moon and Green Moon appeared to be observing the match unaccompanied by their protective forces. I expected those four, but I was taken aback by the presence of the fifth.

“……!!”

I froze, and Mangnyang spoke up.

“No need to be surprised. He’s the most objective witness.”

“I see…”

I steadied my heart and stepped onto the sparring arena. The objective witness fluttered his sleeve and addressed the gathered spectators.

“The combatants for the sparring match are all present.”

Then he turned to Lee Kwang and said,

“Is this okay, Three Refined Masters?”

“Of course. Let’s begin the sparring right away.”

Lee Kwang received the witness’s words with his usual cool demeanor. The witness lightly smiled, looking at Jin So-cheong and me standing in the arena, and shouted,

“Before the official match, you two should greet each other! It’s proper etiquette.”

At his words, I gazed fixedly at Jin So-cheong, who stood three paces away. She was already watching me intensely. Even though I’d sparred with her hundreds of times, facing her as complete strangers felt awkward for the first time.

Jin So-cheong glanced at me with a slightly stiff face, then relaxed, performed the bow of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, and said,

“I am Jin So-cheong, a disciple and Grandmaster of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.”

Returning her greeting per the sparring etiquette I knew, I replied,

“I am So Woong, a disciple of the Thunder God Lineage.”

Mangnyang had already signaled it was okay to reveal I was part of the Thunder God Lineage. Once our introduction concluded, the witness examined our Qi and announced,

“Excellent. I am thrilled to witness the duel between these young and outstanding warriors! The sparring will be officiated by the Master of the True Heaven Alliance, Wei Zhi-hun. I promise to prevent any unfortunate incidents or fatalities.”

Indeed.

The one officiating our sparring between disciples of the Thunder God Lineage was none other than the chief of the True Heaven Alliance and one of the most renowned swordsmen, Master Wei Zhi-hun! He could undoubtedly be considered the strongest and most objective witness in the current Jianghu. However, I never expected someone of his stature as a third-party witness would show up, which caught me off guard.

‘ With Wei Zhi-hun present, Lee Kwang will think twice before misbehaving.’

Wei Zhi-hun’s martial prowess was on par with Lee Kwang’s. In fact, Lee Kwang himself had acknowledged that Master Wei Zhi-hun’s skills were equal to his own. As long as Wei Zhi-hun officiated, Lee Kwang wouldn’t dare pull any old games. Furthermore, Wei Zhi-hun was well-acquainted with the circumstances surrounding the Thunder God Lineage, making deception impossible.

If this was Mangnyang’s selection for the witness, it couldn’t have been better!

I could focus on the duel without fearing Lee Kwang’s disruptions. I quietly stood my ground in anticipation, readying my sword.

“Begin!”

As the commanding shout from Master Wei Zhi-hun rang out, Jin So-cheong and I narrowed the distance between us, slowly fueling our energy. As I aligned myself with her, I began to perceive the depth of Jin So-cheong’s skills.

‘ So soft…’

In this tense situation, it was a strange description, but it was undeniably true. Experts tend to gauge each other’s weak points while comparing their skills, and this intangible veil we sensed was also known as a barrier. An expert can block, evade, and deflect any attacks that fall within their barrier’s range.

The flow I felt from Jin So-cheong was like dealing with something fluffy. Though not perfected, it felt remarkably flexible, smoothly evading my senses. I clearly felt the import of the Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong’s advice.

[ If you don’t fight with the intention to kill, you will be severely defeated.]

I understand perfectly.

In truth, until now, I had harbored the arrogance of believing that with my tremendous internal power and thunderclap technique, I could defeat Jin So-cheong with sheer physical ability. It was true that I thought it would be easy to knock her down after examining her skills early in my training. I even worried about accidentally killing her if I went all out.

But now I see.

This ‘soft’ sensation means that Jin So-cheong wields her intent with remarkable fluidity! With her willpower, she can freely maneuver through offensive and defensive movements, thus there’s no need to be rigid.

In other words, Jin So-cheong now seemed like an expert where I might struggle not just to land a hit, but even to avoidher outright defeat!

There’s only one solution.

Hissss –

The ultimate power of my internal force surged throughout my whole body. A fierce energy, akin to a powerful storm breaking from a single point, overflowed around me. As my formidable thunder spirit spread out, Jin So-cheong wore an astonished expression, but it wasn’t just her. Even Lee Kwang and the Dharma Protectors were visibly shocked.

“No way!!”

“To this extent…”

I had no time to relish their reactions. I harnessed the maximum of my internal power and immediately unleashed the thunderclap technique without hesitation, directing colossal force at Jin So-cheong.

Boom!!

It all happened in an instant. A tremendous burst of explosive force surged forth, shattering the ground at the arena’s edge, propelling massive clumps of earth upward and releasing a tempest of energy. Even amidst the chaos, I extended my strike until I could finally witness the scene I anticipated.

‘ Just as I thought!’

She’s blocking it.

Jin So-cheong’s spear had perfectly intercepted my blade.

In that hair-raising moment, I felt as though I had entered a time-stopped realm with Jin So-cheong. In reality, it was too short for even any time to have ‘conversational exchanges.’ Regardless, I felt that Jin So-cheong was communicating with me through her mind.

[ So Woong, you too can use the thunderclap technique.]

Crackle-crackle

With a delayed reaction, the shockwave reverberated through the real world. Thunder energies emanated around Jin So-cheong’s body, and her entire form was suffused with the power of lightning.

At the very instant I unleashed my thunderclap technique, Jin So-cheong countered with her own! Since our strengths were equal, I could only push her back by three paces but failed to advance further.

Bang!

The second strike collided in mid-air. As I once more used the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique’s fundamentals to poke at her gaps, Jin So-cheong deflected it away with Thunder Spirit Eight Forms. This exchange, although short-lived, was being keenly observed by all the peak experts in the arena.

I inflicted a formidable strike using the spear technique Lan, evoking a barrage of attacks, but it didn’t faze Jin So-cheong, causing her to twirl in the air with my spear and glide effortlessly. As I landed, my gaze sharpened.

‘ How about this?’

Swish

The third strike unleashed the Thunder God Lineage’s secret technique, Thousand Kills Slash. My sword emitted a torrent of sword qi and flame, unleashing hundreds of strikes in rapid succession. Jin So-cheong seemed to recognize the Thousand Kills Slash, momentarily startled.

Then she smirked. She slipped into a state of enjoyment.

Clank!

“……!!”

I clenched my teeth as I stormed through the series of slashes. To my astonishment, Jin So-cheong immediately performed her own Thousand Kills Slash in a spear form instead! I never imagined she could mirror the Thousand Kills Slash using spear techniques; it felt as if my skull had been struck by a heavy blow.

Clank clank clank clang!

As the sounds of our swords echoed a couple hundred times, the area around us had become a cacophony of destruction, resembling an explosion site. I unleashed a flamboyant range of skills under the insights gained from Jang Sam-bong, while Jin So-cheong reacted awestruck, deflecting and dodging each attack.

“Wonderful!”

Jin So-cheong rekindled her focus, approaching the realm of pure intent as she spoke to me.

[ Now, take my attack.]

Swoosh—

The spear swept through the air. I could see its rotation clearly.

I initially thought the speed of this spear attack was ludicrously slow. It was hard to believe Jin So-cheong could launch such a blunt and sluggish attack. However, I soon recognized I had seen this actual attack before.

‘ This is…!!’

It was during the duel where the Lord of the Golden Eagle Guard had been torn apart by Jin So-cheong’s limbs!

That peculiar spear technique I witnessed in that duel!

Years had passed, and that memory surged forth instinctively; I suddenly recognized Jin So-cheong’s movements. I had seen this slow rotation of the spear attacks in my past.

I understood this attack.

Lan!

The “lan” technique, representing one of the core spear techniques, only took Jin So-cheong three executions to deliver the devastating blow that severed the Lord of the Golden Eagle Guard’s arm. Back then, I had no experience, and Jin So-cheong’s power was a mere marvel to me.

But now I comprehend.

Jin So-cheong doesn’t rely on a special ultimate technique as I do. In spite of the Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear being more extravagant and powerful than Thunder Spirit Eight Forms, she hasn’t even really practiced its finishing maneuvers. Instead, she has tirelessly refined the basics of “lan” whenever she had the chance. I know this best, having been by her side for countless years.

She is a martial artist who makes the basics her finishers and uses ordinary techniques as her strongest attacks!

The form she showcased with “lan” possesses tremendous range, force, and penetrating power, transforming it into the ultimate strike!

“Grrrgh!”

I gritted my teeth, devising a strategy. I decided to counter that devastating rotation with rotation of my own. Instantly, I directed my sword with maximum internal force, merging the Cave-Collapsing Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword’s energies. The two powers clashed forth in an unharmonious resonance.

Zzzzzt!

Though it was a brief instant, the friction from their clash generated an intense spinning force. Had I not retained this method from Jang Sam-bong’s insights, I would have had no means to mount either an offensive or defensive counter against Jin So-cheong’s “lan.”

‘ Please…!!’

Boom!

In the next instant, an explosion echoed as our attacks collided again. Both Jin So-cheong and I were sent soaring, spinning in the air before regaining our stances.

“Whoa…”

Jin So-cheong seemed surprised she hadn’t finished me off with that attack, eyes wide as saucers. Soon after, she broke into genuine delight.

“Hahaha!!”

Watching Jin So-cheong soar toward me, using the Heavenly Sovereign technique instead of landing, caused me to freeze in fear. Facing her full-scale power felt like grappling with a furious battling deity.

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